In general various methods of transportation systems have been disclosed in the prior art. However, the complex nature of the prior art lends itself to very difficult systems to employ.
The prior art reference U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,851 (Long) shows a monorail module that is loaded with passengers, brought up to the speed of a non-stop train, and attached to the train by magnetic means. The passengers enter or exit the non-stop train by a stairway. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,082,042 and 3,939,775 (Barry) show a transfer system in which containers, such as passenger container 16, are loaded at a fixed point and transferred by an overhead rail means to a non-stop moving vehicle. The transfer container's speed is controlled so that it can be lowered into a cavity in the moving vehicle.
Other references such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,017 (Michalon) shows a transport system in which there is a main non-stop conveyor like loop and a series of stations along the main conveyor. Each station includes a conveyor that accelerates the loaded passenger cabin to the speed of the main, non-stop conveyor loop and transfers the cabin to it. The reference U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,734 (Horn) shows a transport system in which there is a conveyor moving at a constant speed. There are a series of stations along the constant speed conveyor that accelerate loaded passenger modules to the speed of the main conveyor, and then transfer the modules to it. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the system in operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,196 (Denenburg) shows a bus like vehicle that carries a transfer module. As seen in FIG. 1, the transfer module is removed from the bus top to the station rail system and the passengers disembark when it has stopped. There is a second, loaded module that the bus picks up as bus passes under the module. Non-stop rail cars such as that as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,084 (Denenburg) cooperates with a transfer car that is secured to it as it travels between stations. At the station, a transfer car is accelerated along a track until it reaches the speed of the non-stop car and the transfer car is then secured to its roof. The passengers than can move from one to the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,041 (Bacon) shows a system for loading passenger carriers 19, which may be small boats or cars. The passenger crosses bridge 15, to fixed platform 13, and moves to rotating platform section 11, to which the carriers are secured. The carriers 19, move relative to platform section 11.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,533 (Grow) shows a transportation system that involves a nonstop transport route in which there is a long non-stop track that has side tracks at each station. Each car on the line can be channeled off a side track 13 to a specific destination. Cars can also start from the side track and join the non-stop train.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,913 (McRar et al) shows a loop transportation system in which there are sidings at each station. Cars are dispatched to various destinations from the stations. The stations are equipped with means to stop and accelerate cars to the main loop.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,025 (Shoemaker) shows a non-stop transport system in which loading/unloading vehicles are run parallel to the non-stop vehicles so that cargo or passengers can be moved from one to the other without stopping. U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,321 (Priebe) shows an inter-community transport system in which vehicles are moved from a local to a main loop and back to another local loop. U.S. Pat. No. 611,145 (Pollock) shows a moving station in the form of a rail car that is on a track parallel to the main line. The nonstop train grabs the station and they roll together as freight and passengers move from one to the other.
The prior art devices such as that as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,042 disclose mechanisms for transporting modules of sorts. This reference, in addition to U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,775 generally has mechanical types of lifting devices to transport the module on and off the train system. Such mechanical devices are always more apt for error in general wear which could cause expense as well as potential for malfunction.
It should be noted that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,042 there appears to be a system in FIG. 23 where the lowering of the modules is done by a fourbar-type linkage which is attached to the train sector. It should be noted that the embodiment here allows for the lowering to be done by the carriage which is moveably attached to the base frame member which lowers and raises and accelerates the overhead base frame.
It should be noted that the basic steps for engaging the invention essentially have a very straightforward design where the risk of failure is minimized by its inherent simplicity. In general, there are four phases of dipping, locking, releasing, and lifting to transfer the containers to and from the moving train sections. The dipping allows for the carriage to drop vertically downwardly when positioned above the train section. The locking secures a positive lock where the module is locked to the train section; a release stage then occurs where the module is released from the moving carriage. Finally, a lifting phase occurs where the carriage departs away and is not in the field of travel of the train. If the module is being released, the release and locking steps are reversed and the lifting mechanism carries away from the module from the train section.
In one form, there is inherent allowance for movement and intolerance of the system whereby if an interior frustoconical surface is employed in the locking mechanism which interfaces with a pin of some sort so there is an automatic centering system of the module as it interfaces with the train section when being placed thereon.